COVID-19 Update: Home ministry exempts registered shops from lockdown restrictions

In a massive relief to the general public, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday, April 24 issued revised guidelines exempting all shops registered under the Shops and Establishment Act of respective States and UTs from lockdown restrictions.

According to the MHA press release, shops in residential complexes, neighbourhood and standalone shops, within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, are exempted from the lockdown restrictions. However, shops in single and multi-brand malls are still prohibited to operate during the lockdown. The relaxations are not applicable in hotspots and containment zones.   

Lockdown guidelines 

The ministry has allowed the shops to function at 50% strength, adding that wearing a mask and observing social distancing is a must. The spokesperson of the ministry also tweeted the press release stating the same. 

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COVID-19 Crisis in India

Meanwhile, India currently has more than 24,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and the deadly virus has claimed almost 780 lives in the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked people not to panic and further urged them to stay indoors. According to the tally by international news agency, the pandemic has now spread to 210 countries and territories and has infected more than 2.8 million people. 

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